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HANOVER — Two public hearings were held Monday at the Hanover Town Board meeting, prompting one local law to be passed and another put on hold for further discussion by the board. The first hearing regarded a real property tax exemption for Cold War Veterans, defined as any veteran serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces between Sept. 2, 1945 and Dec. 26, 1991 who are not currently receiving either eligible funds or alternative veterans’ exemption. Attorney Jeffrey Passafaro said prior to the hearing that if passed, the law would not be administered until 2010. Jeanne Polisoto requested more facts and figures from the board, expressing her concern with Hanover’s rate of taxation. Assessor Karen Bowker replied this exemption is for the few who “fell through the cracks,” including one in the town and three in the village of Silver Creek. Although Polisoto said she understood it wasn’t an exorbitant expenditure, there was not an “endless pot” of funds to be spent. “I wonder where our priorities are — not to say that these people are not deserving, but I’m talking about financial responsibility,” Polisoto said. Sunset Bay resident George Borrello said he had not intended to speak at the hearing as he stood up to next to respond to Polisoto’s comment, first explaining he agreed the funds are anything but “endless.” “I think that there’s some people that need to be recognized and certainly given exemptions, people that put their lives on the line for our country and they’ve given us the opportunity to stand here and debate this,” Borrello said. “We absolutely need to allow this exemption. These people who have fallen through the cracks deserve to be supported like everyone else.” The board voted to adopt the local law for the Cold War veteran exemption. Immediately following the first hearing, the second was held on a real property tax partial exemption for qualified historic barns, which includes barns constructed before 1936. A declining exemption, with the maximum amount in the first year and then decreasing 10 percent per year until termination. The request for the exemption was initially made by Dana Bennett at a July town board meeting. Bennett received a grant for restoring the barn on his property at 469 Route 39 in Forestville, which is estimated to have been built between 1840 and 1850. Several questions and comments were made by residents. In response to a question about how many barns in the area could be qualified as historic, the assessor answered there were two or three at most. “I’m not against historic barn restoration, I think it’s wonderful. And if a person has done it with his own money out of his own pocket, and he can get a tax exemption, wonderful. But the state of New York has already put money into this barn,” Sandra Gray of Hanover Road said. “Why should the local taxpayers have to subsidize the taxes on it to boot?” No action was made on the law after the hearing, with Supervisor Katherine Tampio requesting more time for discussion. Tampio said a decision on the historic barns partial tax exemption could be made at the next meeting. “With the money I’m putting into it, it helps me afford the reconstruction costs,” Bennett said after the meeting. “Even though I have a grant from the state, I still have to pay income tax on that, plus I also have a matching percentage that I have to put in — so, I’m putting a considerable amount of my own money into it to.” Bennett said he is hopeful a decision in his favor will be reached soon. “It’s the right of everybody to say how they feel,” Bennett said. “Any little bit is going to help me afford the project.” In other matters: ¯ The King Road repair will now be permanent instead of temporary, as advised by FEMA. Two agency supervisors came to inspect the road and found that the road’s damage had progressed to the point where permanent repair needed to be pursued this year, Highway Superintendent Steve D’Angelo said. “It’s going to be better for everybody that we get this road done permanently because it would be a waste of money of we put it in temporary and then next year go back,” D’Angelo said. Not only was D’Angelo glad to be able to repair the road now instead of later, but said “It’s going to make a lot of the residents happy.” “FEMA is going to pay the full shot but we have to go through the formality of bidding that out,” D’Angelo said at the workshop prior to the meeting. Bids on the permanent repair must be made and will be opened 10 a.m. Nov. 13. Thereafter, a special meeting of the town board may be scheduled in order to approve the bid as soon as possible. King Road is currently open for the use of EMS and fire squads. The impending permanent repair, which D’Angelo expects to be completed “fairly soon,” will not impact the contractor working on repairs currently underway. ¯ A public hearing was set for Nov. 9 at 7:35 p.m. at the town hall on the three-year fire protection contract with the Village of Silver Creek for Fire Protection District 3 (Sunset Bay) regarding the services of the village’s rescue squad. “This comes as a result of much discussion,” Tampio said. “This contract to fund this volunteer service will rectify a longstanding absence of funding that is necessary to maintain a volunteer rescue squad for the benefit of the residents of Sunset Bay.” Tampio said the contract is in addition to — not in place of — the Sunset Bay Fire Department for emergency services, which will still be called first in the case of an emergency. The proposed monetary amount of $6,000 was calculated after analysis of the rescue squad’s 2009 annual budget of approximately $60,000 and their history of calls over a five year period to determine the appropriate funding level. On average, annually, half of the calls are outside the village of Silver Creek in Fire Protection District 2 and 3, and 20 percent of the calls occur in Sunset Bay. ¯ A resolution to increase the income level to $18,000 for senior citizen partial exemption from taxation will be subject of a public hearing set for Nov. 23 at 7:35 p.m. at the town hall. ¯ The board voted to increase town employees and non-Medicare enrollees share of health insurance expense from 6.5 to 10 percent, effective Dec. 1. Medicare enrollees share of health insurance expense will be similarly increased, effective Jan. 1, 2010. This amends the Oct. 27, 2003 policy which was further amended Nov. 14, 2005. Comments on this story may be sent to adiodato@observertoday.com

 

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